Will India's Reluctant Prince Turn King?

Can the prince turn into a king?

Lackluster performance handicaps a Gandhi scion

Rahul Gandhi, 42, the reluctant crown prince of Indian politics, is coming under the microscope of almost every Indian political analyst over speculation that he may finally be about to seek a defining role in the country’s governing apparatus.

The Gandhi scion, son of the late former premier Rajiv Gandhi and ruling United Progressive Alliance chief Sonia Gandhi, recently acknowledged that he is ready for a “larger role” in politics, which analysts interpreted as possibly a plum cabinet position or even a leading role in 2014 national elections.

However, despite being in the hurly-burly of politics for eight years as Congress party General Secretary and then a Member of Parliament from the traditional Gandhi bastion of Amethi in northern Uttar Pradesh, Rahul’s performance has been underwhelming. He eschewed a ministerial post offered by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009) and has also shied away from being the party vice president, the official number two position after Sonia.

Instead, he appears content to be a fringe player, putting up carefully orchestrated “spontaneous” appearances at farmers’ rallies and dinners at Dalit (formerly known as untouchables) huts.

By trying to establish a connect with the common man, Gandhi appears to have been hoping to avoid being straitjacketed as a quintessential Indian politician. But the ploy has apparently not worked and only triggered rancor. People are impatient that if he won’t accept any position of authority, and eternally appears to be the party’s premier-in-waiting, how will his political and administrative acumen be assessed?

A public comment last week by a senior Congress minister -- Salman Khurshid – that it was time Rahul stopped playing “cameos” to take charge of the party, sent shockwaves down the 135-year-old party’s rank and file. Notorious for their obsequiousness to the first family, party stalwarts were taken aback that a minister had the gumption to criticize the heir apparent in public.

One positive factor came out of it though. It galvanized the Congress enough to urge Rahul to step up his game although no one quite knows what “larger role” he is talking about. Is he taking over a ministry? Leadership of a specific state? Or a special post in the organizational hierarchy?

“His ratings are so low, that the only way he can go is up,” cracked a functionary of the rightwing BJP, the country’s principal opposition party.

Indeed Rahul has little tangible political accomplishments to date. He is an MP, but rarely speaks in Parliament. He has never aired his views on matters of national importance either, like the country’s foreign policy, relations with Pakistan, economic management or the defense budget.

Nevertheless, the sense of entitlement has propelled him thus far into the turbulent waters of the polity. Rahul’s great grandfather, Motilal Nehru was Congress president in the 1920s, as a leader of India’s struggle for freedom. Motilal’s son, Jawaharlal Nehru, succeeded him as party chief in 1929 and later became the country’s first prime minister after Independence, remaining so until his death in 1964.

Nehru’s daughter, Indira Gandhi, became prime minister in 1966 and, except for a brief hiatus of two years, remained so until she was assassinated in 1984. Her son, Rahul’s father, Rajiv Gandhi, then became PM for five years until he too was assassinated.

With such lineage, the clamor for Gandhi to lead the Congress campaign in 2014 is intense. No doubt, he is a national brand, comes with the redoubtable Gandhi charisma, has studied at elite institutes (Harvard, Cambridge) and is good looking to boot. In a political landscape peppered with geriatric politicians, not exactly known for their sartorial finesse, Gandhi stands out with his demeanor and deportment.

However at 42, he isn’t exactly a youth icon, a handicap in a country defined by demographics of nearly 70 percent voters under age 35. Besides, Rahul’s lackluster political performance has diminished his stature. His high-decibel campaign in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections this March, for instance, was a debacle.

The winner was the regional socialist Samajwadi Party, led by the young Akhilesh Yadav. The contrast between two dynasties -- Yadav is a second generation politician -- was stark. While Yadav, who has a master's degree in environmental engineering from Sydney, was humble and came across as a son of the soil, Rahul’s combative posturing and theatrics didn’t go down well with the electorate. At one stage in his campaign, he even tore up SP’s election promises list while speaking at a rally.

The result? Samajwadi Party romped home with a whopping 224 seats in the 403-member UP legislative assembly while Congress trailed in fourth place with 28. The voters gave a thumbs up to the local bicycle-riding Akhilesh Yadav and booed the Gandhi heir with his security entourage and sophisticated choppers.

“People like to identify with their leaders,” says Ram Pyare, a local farmer. “They don’t like being patronized even if it is a member of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.”

Winning Uttar Pradesh, observers say, was vital for Rahul because the state has enormous historical significance for the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. During the past hundred years, six generations from the family have fought and won elections in the state, with three ruling India as prime minister, including Rajiv Gandhi.

Besides, the country’s most populous state sends 80 MPs to the 544-member Lok Sabha, or lower house, and is regarded as a bellwether for national polls. “The route to New Delhi’s throne,’ says a Congress party worker, “lies through UP.”

A more sagacious choice than Rahul for Uttar Pradesh, say the locals, would have been his younger sister, Priyanka, 40. An eloquent speaker, she has a positive way with people and is known for her formidable organizational skills. But unfortunately for the Congress, she is a reluctant politician.

Analysts have now begun to predict that the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty might have to wait beyond 2014 for its next prime minister. With Rahul’s political competence questioned in Uttar Pradesh, a creaky organizational structure on the ground, ideological disarray and a virulent anti-incumbency wave against the ruling UPA government there’s little going for the PM hopeful at the moment.

The fact that Sonia Gandhi – regarded as her son’s chief mentor -- is also not in good health (according to rumors she is suffering from abdominal cancer), is of no help either.

To declare Rahul a prime ministerial nominee for the Congress campaign in such fraught circumstances would be foolhardy, analysts say. “Mark my words,” says a member of the BJP core committee, “Rahul will himself pull out of the race. People are not rooting for him because he doesn’t seem confident. He is more like an apprentice who is still learning the ropes of administration and the nitty-gritty of government functioning.”

Joining the government as, say as a Cabinet minister, wouldn’t cut much ice either. It would only end up undermining the authority of an already embattled PM Manmohan Singh and endanger governance. Rahul, say insiders, will likely emerge as an “alternate power center” with every minister trying to cozy up to the man who carries the imprimatur of the future premier of the country.

As these theories circulate, the Gandhi family is doing what it does best – continue to be an enigma wrapped tightly in a mystery. Ironically, a politically weak Rahul has endowed Manmohan Singh with more power. The PM has more wriggle room for decision making without the Gandhi scion’s shadow looming over the Cabinet’s horizon. He will also be able to better execute policies that can augment his administration and revive India's moribund economy.

"The Congress should stop badgering the Congress to make Rahul prime minister," says a senior Uttar Pradesh Congress functionary. "His absence will fortify Singh’s position and at this juncture this is what’s best for the country."

Moral of the story: what’s good for the Gandhis, clearly ain’t good for the country.

(Email the author at neetalal@hotmail.com)

KPN diminta komited bendung jenayah, jaga keamanan negara

LEMBAH PANTAI 8 Ogos: Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai, Nurul Izzah Izzah Anwar mempersoal apa sebenarnya tangungjawab Ketua Polis Negara (KPN) kerana beliau sering dilihat membantu Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan dan Kesejahteraan Bandar mengedarkan bubur lambuk.
Menurutnya, perkara tersebut diadu penduduk yang menyaksikan tiga kali Tan Sri Ismail Omar bersama-sama Datuk Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin menyampaikan juadah berbuka puasa itu kepada masyarakat di sekitar Lembah Pantai baru-baru ini.
“Memang pelik, sejak bila Ketua Polis Negara mendapat tugas baru mengedar bubur lambuk sedangkan banyak lagi tugas lebih penting perlu dilaksanakan.
“Apakah ini transformasi yang dibawa Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak dalam usaha menjaga keamanan negara,” soalnya.
Beliau mengulas demikian pada sidang media selepas menyampaikan bantuan zakat beserta barangan keperluan dapur kepada 200 golongan yang memerlukan termasuk dua buah kerusi roda kepada warga emas dalam Majlis Iftar Ramadhan Jasamu Dikenang semalam.
Tegas Naib Presiden KEADILAN itu lagi, tugas utama KPN adalah memastikan semua anggota polis menjalankan tanggungjawab menjaga keselamatan negara.
Kata Izzah, peningkatan kes jenayah di kawasan jagaannya semakin membimbangkan dan ia perlu diambil perhatian serius.
“Masyarakat terutamanya di Brickfields rasa keselamatan mereka tergugat sejak balai polis di sini dirobohkan tahun lepas. Berbagai rungutan penduduk saya terima dan mereka mahukan balai polis baru dibina seperti yang dijanjikan oleh Nong Chik. Malangnya hingga hari ini, janji manis itu tidak dilunaskan.
“Justeru saya mendesak Menteri Wilayah menepati janjinya untuk bina balai polis baru dengan mencari lokasi strategik sebelum penduduk mengadakan protes bantahan. Begitu juga Tan Sri Ismail Omar perlu kembali menjalankan tugasnya sebagai KPN,” tegas Izzah.

Apa masalahnya kalau DAP menang bersama PAS, PKR? — Aspan Alias

8 OGOS — Kali ini saya kembali menyebut satu isu yang pada saya sepatutnya menjadi satu isu basi dan tidak lagi diperbesarkan. Isunya ialah isu penyertaan saya dan beberapa orang Melayu dalam Parti Tindakan Demokratik, DAP.

Saya tahu ini merupakan isu yang tidak berapa laku lagi sekarang kerana orang ramai tahu yang momokan Umno dan penyokongnya dalam isu ini semakin hari semakin pudar dan sudah tidak diterima oleh rakyat yang ramai.

Saya tidak berminat untuk melayan momokan ini, tetapi terlalu ramai sahabat dan rakan-rakan yang menyokong saya menyertai DAP ini meminta saya menyebutnya sekali lagi, setidak-tidaknya buat kali terakhir. Mereka yang menyokong saya meliputi penyokong-penyokong saya dari seluruh negara dan ramai di antara mereka meminta saya menulisnya lagi.

“Penyokong Umno ini malas berfikir. You mesti beritahu mereka selalu, kalau tidak mereka lupa. Orang yang malas berfikir mesti diperingati selalu sebab mereka payah untuk memahami isu-isu penting ini. Mereka ini tidak pernah dilatih untuk berfikir sebaliknya dilatih untuk mengangguk sahaja,” kata beberapa orang yang menyokong saya menyertai DAP walaupun mereka ini hanya sekadar penyokong yang akan memberikan undi kepada DAP.

Sebenarnya apa yang hendak saya sebutkan lagi kerana semuanya sudah disebut banyak kali. Apakah benar yang DAP itu adalah parti Cina? Mungkin DAP itu disertai oleh ramai orang Cina tetapi ia bukan parti Cina.

DAP adalah parti berbilang kaum yang memperjuangkan nasib semua bangsa. Parti ini memperjuangkan kebersihan dalam pentadbiran kerajaan yang sangat kotor pada masa kini. DAP memperjuangkan ketelusan dan menolak isu rasuah yang banyak berlaku dalam kerajaan dan pimpinan BN sekarang ini.

Di mana-mana saya pergi, dari utara ke selatan, dari timur ke barat saya berjumpa dengan ribuan orang dan tidak ramai yang membangkang saya setelah saya berikan “rationale” kenapa kita tidak perlu takut untuk memberi sokongan kepada DAP yang merupakan salah satu komponen dalam Pakatan Rakyat ini.

Saya bukannya duduk di rumah berdiam diri. Saya selalu meninggalkan rumah untuk pergi ke merata-rata daerah dan tempat dalam negara ini. Saya dijemput untuk berceramah dan memberikan penerangan kenapa kita tidak perlu gusar untuk memberikan sokongan kepada DAP.

Barisan Nasional khususnya Umno memang begitu takut dengan pengaruh DAP tetapi sebesar mana pun pengaruh DAP itu ia tidak akan menguasai kerajaan dan Putrajaya jika Pakatan menduduki Putrajaya itu. DAP akan menurunkan hanya seramai lebih kurang 50 kerusi sahaja dalam pilihanraya yang akan datang.

Jika DAP menang kesemuanya, parti yang saya anggotai ini tidak akan terjadi apa yang dikhuatiri oleh segelintiran orang Melayu. Takkanlah nak buat kiraan yang senang ini pun mereka (penyokong BN totok) tidak mampu?

Tetapi jika DAP menang semua kerusi, ia memang penting untuk perjuangan rakyat berbilang kaum di negara ini. Pertamanya, parti ini mempunyai rekod ketelusan dalam pentadbiran, Pulau Pinang misalnya.

Jika DAP bersama-sama dengan PAS dan PKR menguruskan Putrajaya itu sudah pasti DAP akan memainkan peranan untuk keadilan ini. Yang pentingnya kita mempunyai kerajaan yang bersih daripada noda rasuah yang menggila dan menjadi benteng kepada perompak harta rakyat seperti yang lazim berlaku sekarang ini.

Saya menjadi ahli Umno selama 40 tahun dan di dalamnya saya telah menjerit dan berbuat segala-galanya untuk mengingatkan parti itu supaya berbuat yang baik dan jauhi segala kemungkaran terhadap politik dan ekonomi negara.

Tetapi saya siapa? Tidak ada siapa yang mendengarnya kerana saya hanya seorang picisan dalam Umno yang begitu kuat budaya mengampu dan membodek ini. Saya yakin dengan sebenar-benarnya yang kebaikan itu tidak akan datang malahan hanya kerosakan sahaja yang akan wujud, “from bad to worse”.

Maka saya bertindak untuk bersama DAP dan, “I want to grow old with this party”. Saya merasakan bahawa parti ini juga boleh memperbaiki diri saya kerana saya telah begitu lama dalam Umno dan saya memerlukan parti yang boleh memperbaiki sikap dan nilai dalaman saya dalam perjuangan politik negara ini.

Bunyinya besar tetapi saya tetap seperti dahulu, bukannya orang yang mempunyai apa-apa kedudukan dan tidak bergelar serta bernama seperti rakan-rakan yang lain yang mengampu ke hulu dan ke hilir itu.

Saya sebutkan kita mesti menyertai parti yang boleh memperbaiki diri kita dan saya merasakan DAP telah pun sedikit sebanyak memperbaiki kelemahan-kelemahan yang ada sedikit sebanyak di dalam diri saya.

Kalau saya masih berada di dalam Umno saya tidak akan memperbaiki diri saya kerana Umno tidak terjumpa nilai-nilai kemanusiaan yang baik dalam perjuangan selain daripada memperjuangkan nasib peribadi mereka semata-mata.

Bermacam-macam yang saya alami sejak menyertai DAP. Ada sahabat karib yang meninggalkan saya terus kerana marah-marah kerana mereka percaya pada momokan Umno dan BN. Tetapi saya mendapat penyokong baru yang begitu ramai dan mereka tidak putus-putus menghubungi saya dan bertukar-tukar fikiran sesama kita.

Alhamdulillah, usaha saya itu berbaloi dan ramai orang Melayu yang akan bersama saya untuk mendokong DAP sebagai sebuah komponen dalam Pakatan Rakyat.

Saya sekarang yakin bahawa PAS, DAP serta PKR akan mendapat dokongan rakyat dalam pilihanraya kali ini dan saya tidak sabar juga untuk melihat perubahan untuk kebaikan itu dalam pilihanraya kali ini. Saya akan bergembira melihat perubahan untuk kebaikan ini berlaku semasa saya masih hidup dan bernyawa ini.

Kepada rakan-rakan saya yang berada jauh dan dekat, ayuh kita teruskan usaha kita dan kepada mereka yang tidak gemar oleh kerana momokan Umno itu, biarkan sahaja mereka di sana. Kita wajar memandang ke hadapan tanpa menoleh kebelakang lagi. Yang penting negara kita ini kita ubah untuk kebaikan bersama.

Sekarang apa masalahnya lagi? Pemimpin yang rasuah sekarang mungkin bermasalah, tetapi rakyat tidak ada masalah. — aspanaliasnet.blogspot.com

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

Ambiga and Bar invited to ‘exchange notes’ with advisory committee

The Star 
by LEE YEN MUN

PUTRAJAYA: Bersih 3.0 chairman Datuk S. Ambiga and the Bar Council have been invited to “exchange notes” with the independent advisory panel on the April 28 rally.

In extending the invitation, panel chairman Tun Hanif Omar said its report on the rally would not be complete without hearing from them.

A letter of invitation would be sent to both Ambiga and the Bar, who would then decide on the date of the meeting, said Hanif.

“The panel hopes to meet them face-to-face since they are key participants to what had occurred.

“The (panel's) terms of reference were very much based on the resolutions of the Bar so it's important that we exchange notes because our assignment is to just get the truth of what happened that day and how we can recommend to make the policing of assemblies better,” Hanif said after chairing the panel's 10th meeting here yesterday.

The Bar had released an interim report on the rally immediately after the event, citing instances of police brutality.

Since June 18, the panel had heard testimonies from about 50 witnesses in its investigation into allegations of police brutality during the rally.

Four witnesses testified before the panel yesterday, including two media personnel, a photography undergraduate and a policeman on duty as the ground commander during the rally.

The media personnel involved had suggested that some members of the police had acted on emotions after hearing initial reports that some of their men had died in the rally, said Hanif.

“We are getting closer to understanding the scenario of the day,” said the former Inspector-General of Police.

Hanif said he also hoped to convene a round-table discussion with security experts from Pakistan, Britain, Canada and the United States within a month's time to discuss crowd control measures which could be adopted by Malaysia as a standard operating procedure.

Opposition Rule Will Lead To Anarchy - Khairy

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 (Bernama) - The use of separate Merdeka Day themes by state governments ruled by opposition parties proves that they disagree in many areas.

Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth chairman Khairy Jamaluddin said the opposition failure to agree to such a simple thing will only lead to anarchy.

"If they win, we may see different policies and laws in certain states. Kelantan and Kedah may have hudud law while Penang may not," he told reporters after launching BN Youth Cyber Team (BNYCT) here Wednesday.

The Umno Youth chief slammed Kelantan, Kedah and Penang governments for adopting the themes and likened them to the three headed giant in Greek mythology.

The Merdeka Day theme for the Kelantan government is 'Menerajui Perubahan' (Leading Change) while Kedah chose the theme 'Terus Berbakti' (Continue To Serve).

Hindraf to fight for non-Indians too

Waythamoorthy pledges to champion the causes of all marginalised minority groups.

By Athi Sankar - FMT
GEORGE TOWN: Hindraf Makkal Sakti has expanded its sphere of activism to include non-Indian marginalised communities in Malaysia, its leader P Waythamoorthy announced today.

He said his group would lend its full support to the human rights claims of such communities as the Orang Asli of the peninsula, the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, and Eurasians.

“Although our primary focus remains on marginalised working class ethnic Indians, Hindraf would not just sit back and watch human rights violations on these marginalised minority groups,” he told FMT today.

“We will also champion their causes to ensure that all minority groups are granted their birth right to live with equality in rights and dignity.

“We will fight to ensure that all marginalised, sidelined and isolated groups are included equally in nation building.”

Waythamoorthy, who returned to Malaysia on Aug 1 after over four years of self-imposed exile in Britain, alleged that violations of human rights in Malaysia were now worse than they were during the colonial period.

He cited the known cases of deaths in police custody, saying if any these had happened during the colonial days, the British administrators would have swiftly carried out an investigation and punished the culprits.

In contemporary Malaysia, however, the authorities would typically drag their feet before finally agreeing to an inquest, he said. Even if an inquest were to be held, it would be conducted by an inexperienced magistrate, he added.

Waythamoorthy also spoke about the displacement of estate workers without compensation in cash and alternative housing, saying this was a form of human rights violation that mostly affected Indians.

Displaced estate workers

He said a recent Hindraf study revealed that some 800,000 estate workers had been displaced over the years.

“These workers were abandoned and left stranded when giant companies took over the plantations.”

He said the poor treatment of estate workers was in stark contrast with the coddling of mostly Malay settlers in the Felda and Felcra rural development schemes.

“The first and foremost human right is the right to live with equality in rights and dignity,” he said.

“Why can’t the Umno government implement a permanent policy like Felda and Felcra to assist displaced Indian estate workers?

“It’s clear that the Putrajaya administration does not take human rights seriously.”

He said Hindraf would also campaign for equal representation of minority groups in Parliament and state legislatures.

“We want constituencies to be set aside solely for the marginalised minority communities to contest and elect their representatives,” he said. “This happens in many democracy-based countries.

“This would give them a strong voice in the government’s decision making process and in nation building.”

Pakatan siap sedia, jangka PRU13 September

I fear for my life, says private eye Bala

Gunmen kill 16 at Deeper Life Church during service

General Oveseer of Deeper life Church Pastor Kumuyi

Pastor among the dead in Kogi night attack -Four killed in Borno -Explosives fired at Sokoto police station

IT was like a scene from a war film. A crowd of worshippers in a church — perhaps praying, their eyes shut — and suddenly the eerie sounds of guns. Pandemonium. Blood, tears and anguish.

But it was no movie. All was real last night in Okene, Kogi State where unknown gunmen stormed a church and opened fire on worshippers, killing no fewer than 16.

Killed were worshippers of Deeper Life Bible Church opposite the Federal College of Education (FCE). Many were injured.

“We are shocked. It is serious,” a Pastor told The Nation last night.

The gunmen, who were said to be bearing sophisticated weapons, stormed the church during the Bible Study, a Monday programme, at about 7p.m., shooting indiscriminately.

The gunmen reportedly took the worshippers by surprise. They blocked all entrances into the church, preventing people from escaping as they fired indiscriminately at the worshippers.

A source said 15 worshippers died on the spot; one died in the hospital.

“As I am talking to you now, we have just counted 16 bodies. No fewer than nine others have been rushed to the Okene General Hospital Okene,” the source said.

Among the dead was the local government area Pastor, according to a source who spoke in Lagos where news of the incident sent members into a shock.

One of the injured is the Dean of Student Affairs of the FCE.

The attack came two weeks after an account officer with FCE, Okene was abducted from his home and murdered. An attack on the Living Faith Church on Lagos Road in Okene was last month repelled by security operatives who stopped an explosive-laden vehicle parked by road side.

Kogi Police spokesman Simon Ile, who confirmed the incident, said he was yet to get details of the incident.

He declined to speak on the number of casualties. He said the command was awaiting reports from the divisional police officer in charge of the area.

Ile said the police would go after the perpetrators of the dastardly act and bring them to justice.

The Commander of Army Headquarters Task Force, Lt Colonel Gabriel Olorunyomi, also confirmed the incident. He said: “Unknown gunmen invaded the Deeper Life Church this night (Monday) during a worship service and opened fire at the worshippers.”

He said 15 people died instantly while the 16th person died in the hospital.

The Military Joint Task Force cordoned off the area.

It could not be immediately ascertained how many worshipers were in the church at the time of the attack.

Gunmen believed to be members of Boko Haram struck again in Sokoto State yesterday.

They bombed a police station in Shagari Village about 70 kilometres to Sokoto, the state capital.

Shagari is the home town of Second Republic President Shehu Shagari. The police station that was attacked is a few metres away from his home.

A police source said the attackers came on a motorbike and tossed dynamites at the police outpost while firing at the policemen on duty.

Sokoto, the seat of the Caliphate, was attacked last week.

Boko Haram, the violent Islamist sect, yesterday claimed responsibility for Sunday’s killing of six soldiers and two civilians in Damturu, the Yobe State capital.

The group said it was responsible for other weekend attacks in the Northeast.

Also on Sunday night, four people were killed in their homes by suspected Boko Haram members in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, as the Joint Task Force (JTF) alerted the public to an impending series of suicide bombings in the city.

In an email statement attributed to a Boko Haram (Wester Education is a sin) spokesman and obtained by The Associated Press yesterday, the group said “One of (their) fighters” caused an explosion Sunday in Damaturu.

Police say six soldiers and two civilians were killed in the blast.

The statement also claimed responsibility for two other attacks in two other northeast cities. It was not immediately clear which attacks it was referring to.

The statement comes after an Internet video featuring the sect’s leader was posted on YouTube on Saturday.

Boko Haram is held responsible for more than 660 deaths this year alone according to an AP count.

Apart from Sunday’s attack in Damaturu, the Emir of Fika was attacked on Friday in a suicide bid but he escaped. His orderly died

A former Commissioner for the Environment in Borno State Alhaji Abdulkadir Kaasa, was shot dead in his home in Maiduguri on Sunday.

Two of the victims of Sunday night killings in Maiduguri were residents of Lawan Bukar, where Alhaji Fannami Gubio, the original candidate of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) in the governorship election in 2011 was killed.

Another victim was killed in the Railway Quarters, where the headquarters of the sect was located before the 2009 clampdown. It was there that its leader Mohammed Yusuf was killed by security operatives alongside dozens of his followers.

One other person was killed at Gamboru Ward. The killing caused apprehension among residents of the town.

Though there was no official confirmation at press time, a military source who spoke anonymously told reporters that the military had intensified efforts at getting the culprits.

The JTF yesterday alerted the public to the plan of the sect to undertake massive snatching of vehicles in Maiduguri and environs which they will later use for suicide missions.

The vehicles, according to the task force, would be laden with explosives and used to bomb strategic locations and cause breach of the peace in the town. The statement signed by the task force field operations officer, Col. Victor Ebhaleme reads: “The JTF wishes to alert members of the public of the desperate moves by Boko Haram terrorists to steal/ snatch vehicles for suicide bombings.”

He urged those whose vehicles have been stolen to immediately report the theft to the nearest police station or to the JTF. He warned that anyone who failed to report and his vehicle is used as a courier of bombs would be treated as an accomplice of the sect.

Man arrested for forcibly converting, raping girl

Police have arrested a man allegedly involved in forcibly converting and raping a Hindu girl. – File photo/Dawn

HYDERABAD, Aug 6: The Sindh High Court’s Hyderabad circuit bench on Monday remanded a man in police custody after a Hindu girl rejected his claim that she had converted to Islam and married him. She, instead, accused the man of abducting her and subjecting her to rape for months.

Justice Munib Akhtar passed the order after hearing a criminal miscellaneous application filed by Sarwar Solangi.

Solangi’s counsel, Ghulam Hyder Shah, said that according to Solangi, who was a Hindu of Bagri community prior to his conversion, the 19-year old Hindu girl of Tandojam had accepted Islam on May 20 before Mufti Shafat Rasool Naeemi in Darul Uloom Mujaddidiya, Sahibdad Goth in Malir, Karachi and a certificate to this effect was issued by the institution.

He said the girl signed a sworn affidavit before Justice of Peace on May 25 and her Nikkah was solemnised with him in Ghazi Dawood Brohi union council in Malir Town, Karachi.

Her conversion annoyed her parents, said the applicant, and on June 21 her relatives Jairam, Rajoo, Nadhiya and Chainiya forcibly snatched her away from him when they were going to visit shrine of Baba Pardesi in Hyderabad.

She was kept at an unknown place for 15 days and then shifted to her parents’ home near Chambar road in Tando Allahyar.

The applicant had requested the court to direct police and the girl’s relatives to produce her in court on Aug 6.

On Monday, the girl appeared in the court and rejected the Solangi’s claims. She said she had left her house on May 18 to wash clothes when Sarwar and two unidentified men kidnapped her and took her to Karachi. She was kept locked up in a room where Sarwar repeatedly subjected her to rape, she said.

She said that she was forced to put her thumb impression on blank papers. On July 30, when Sarwar and his friends left the place and went out to buy wine she managed to escape from the place and reached her home.

She said that she wanted to go live with her parents. The judge asked the girl’s father whether he wanted to pursue the matter further and the father replied he only wanted justice in accordance with law.

Pakatan states to use 3 different themes for N-Day

PETALING JAYA, Aug 7 — Four states under Pakatan Rakyat (PR) control will have three different themes for this year’s National Day celebrations instead of adopting the controversial theme of “Janji Ditepati (Promises Fulfilled)”, the federal opposition pact said today.

However, the four states will still use a common theme of “Sebangsa, Senegara, Sejiwa (One Nation, One Country, One Soul)” which the pact had previously agreed upon, PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali (picture) said.

Kedah will use “Terus Berbakti (Continue to Serve)” as its state theme while Kelantan will be adopting “Menerajui Perubahan (Spearheading Change)”.

Only Penang and Selangor will maintain “Sebangsa, Senegara, Sejiwa”.

“This is because the state exco of Kedah and Kelantan decided on their respective themes before we decided on (Sebangsa, Senegara, Sejiwa), and the exco decision is binding,” Mustafa told reporters at a joint news conference with his PR allies at the PKR headquarters here.

Also present were PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar and DAP Youth chief Anthony Loke.

He said the pact will also launch an alternative to the federal government’s theme song and logo for the National Day celebrations on Thursday, after the PR supreme council meeting.

He added that the song is penned by a renowned composer but that he chose to keep his identity under wraps until the launch.

Nurul Izzah said PR’s theme song will be non-partisan, unlike the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government’s choice.

“Our song gives room for all parties to express their feelings about freedom and not feel ‘hijacked’ or neglected,” she said.

The federal opposition bloc had rejected the 2012 National Day theme song and logo when both were unveiled last month, claiming the lyrics and design smacked of partisan politics in the run-up to the 13th general elections, which could see a regime change for the first time since independence in 1957.

At a separate press conference earlier today, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, said BN, as the ruling coalition, holds the right to decide the National Day theme because its three founding members — Umno, MCA and MIC — were responsible for helping the country gain its independence from British colonial rule.

“Without a doubt, it is parties like Umno, MCA and MIC that fought for independence. Let those who fight for independence determine the theme. When did the opposition fight for independence?” he told reporters in Parliament.

Nazri said he felt the “Janji Ditepati” theme was apt as it represents the fact the federal government has kept its promises to the people.

The “Janji Ditepati” theme has been publicly panned on various social networking sites, including by graphics designers and songwriters, who say its seemingly political content is unsuitable for the celebration that stretches from August 31 to September 16, which is Malaysia Day.

The government eschewed the traditional logo designing competition this year, leaving the Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture to come up with the logo which comprises words in different fonts, the Jalur Gemilang, the 1 Malaysia logo and the theme “Janji Ditepati”, all depicted in the four colours of the national flag.

MIC confident of bigger win

Although MIC is confident of avoiding another dismal electoral performance, nonetheless the party leadership is aware that it will be a rough ride.

GEORGE TOWN: Pakatan Rakyat Indian grassroots and its noisy cyber commentators may claim that the next general election will hammer the final nail in MIC’s coffin and send it into political extinction.

However, despite facing an imminent toughest electoral challenge in its history, G Palanivel-led MIC is quietly confident that it could turn the table against and win many seats.

Boosted by growing support among the Malay and Indian electorates, sources said the party’s strategists were increasingly poised of winning six parliamentary and between 11 and 17 state seats in the next polls.

Like in the 12th general election, MIC would contest in nine federal and 19 state constituencies in the 13th election.

Its federal seats are Sungai Siput, Tapah, Cameron Highlands, Hulu Selangor, Subang, Kapar, Kota Raja, Teluk Kemang and Segamat.

In the 2008 general election, MIC won only Cameron Highlands, Tapah and Segamat before regaining Hulu Selangor via a by-election later.

This time it is confident of winning all except Subang, Kapar and Kota Raja.

Its state seats are Lunas and Bukit Selambau (Kedah), Prai and Bagan Dalam (Penang), Pasir Panjang, Behrang, Sungkai and Hutan Melintang (Perak), Batu Caves, Ijok and Sri Andalas (Selangor), Jeram Padang and Port Dickson (Negeri Sembilan), Kahang, Permas, Tenggaroh and Gambir (Johor), Malacca’s Asahan and Pahang’s Sabai.

Among these seats, MIC believes it had a fighting chance to clinch Lunas, Bukit Selambau, Bagan Dalam, Prai, Pasir Panjang, Behrang, Sungkai, Hutan Melintang, Batu Caves, Ijok, Jeram Padang, Kahang, Tenggaroh, Gambir, Asahan and Sabai.

The party, however, concededed that Sri Andalas and Port Dickson were difficult seats, while it also feared losing Permas due to the inept performance of incumbent MM Samy.

In the last election, MIC won only the four Johor seats, Asahan, Jeram Padang and Sabai.

Right formula is crucial

Although MIC was confident of avoiding another dismal electoral performance, nonetheless the party leadership was aware that it would be a rough ride towards the finishing line.

Party insiders concurred that MIC must first apply the right formula to win these seats, combining winnable candidates with effective campaign strategies.

They said the right formula would be crucial in seats that MIC lost narrowly in 2008.

The party had submitted a list of 56 names of potential winnable candidates, two for each constituency, to Barisan Nasional national chairman Najib Tun Razak.

The MIC leadership was also contemplating shifting chosen candidates to different constituencies to increase their chances of winning, such as in Prai, Lunas, Bukit Selambau and Batu Caves.

Party insiders said a capable winnable candidate could draw some 1,000 to 2,000 votes on his own.

“In the current political scenario, it’s a huge amount of votes. As BN faces a tough adversary, each vote counts,” said a MIC top leader.

Among main factors boosting MIC’s confidence was the alleged surging shift of support among ethnic Indians and Malays from Pakatan Rakyat towards BN.

Sources claimed that MIC and BN’s own ground studies and intelligence reports revealed that some 60% to 65% of Malays and Indians would back BN in the coming polls.

Chinese support for BN stood between 25% and 30%, said the source.

Sources said MIC would tap on Najib’s rapidly increasing popularity among the Indian community.

“Many working class Indians are impressed with Najib’s direct touch to address and resolve their issues spot on. This can tilt the balance in MIC’s favour in a close fight,” said a party insider.

I’m sorry, says Manoharan

The DAP rep apologises for his Twitter posting on national shuttler Lee Chong Wei's defeat.

PETALING JAYA: Kota Alam Shah state rep M Manoharan of DAP who courted the anger of Malaysians over the weekend has apologised on Twitter.

“I deeply regret the comments I made and tender my heartfelt apologies to Lee Chong Wei and his family,” he said.

He issued the statement after meeting with DAP national chairman Karpal Singh.

On Sunday, Manoharan angered Malaysians with his Twitter message when he commented on the Olympics badminton final match that pitted Lee against China’s Lin Dan.

“Malaysia will win its first gold medal after Pakatan [Rakyat] takes over Putrajaya. Lin Dan wins. He played better than Chong AWAY,” he had said.

Lee lost 21-15, 10-21, 19-21 to Lin Dan.

‘Don’t exploit the issue’

In a related development, Karpal called on Barisan Nasional component parties not to exploit the issue since Manoharan had apologised.

“Manoharan has extended an unconditional apology to Lee and his family and the matter should rest there,” he said in a press statement today.

He also admitted that Manoharan’s comments were uncalled for.

“The comments made by Manoharan over Lee Chong Wei’s performance are indefensible and ought not to have been made.

“Lee has taken Malaysia with pride and dignity on a world stage by his courage and grit in having done the best he could despite the ankle injury he suffered recently,” he added.

Religious bigots becometh of Malaysians?

Malaysians, after 55 years of claiming to be "independent from the shackles of colonialism", what have you achieved? What would Jesus and Muhammad say to the current regime and the hatemongers ...? Did Islam not borrow heavily from Jewish, Sabean, and Christian sources to construct its doctrine ... ?

A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE

Dr Azly Rahman

The question of "proselytizing" is here again .. of "Christians spreading Christianity to Muslims" .. isn't this a political strategy to create fear amongst the people and next, a savior will come to the rescue? The process of "Islamization" is ongoing since time immemorial and so too has "Christian civilizing mission" ... what is there to fight against in a monotheistic context of believe?

Why instill fear of worldviews that are supposed to be similar wherein one complements each other .. unless those fear-mongers target people of lower cognitive-class consciousness and choose to play this dangerous game of religious hatred ...? Have we not seen the consequence of this in the case of church burnings, temple demolition, cow-head dragging? Can't you sober up, Malaysians? Why don't you experts sit down and craft an educational program of awareness of the importance of building bridges of faith and help the next generation understand each other so that they will become "world-wise" and can talk sense about race, religion, creed, class .. and help each other understand what it means to be a "spiritual being framed cross-culturally"?.

Politicians spend too much wasting time neglecting this aspect of nation-building and let religious bigots run around on a rampage to show-off their idiotic-religious pride ... shallow understanding of the evolution of religion, the nature of god and the ways to teach tolerance and understanding. Bigots many have become. Isn't religion about "making connections between the spirit and the divine" and a precondition of it is to understand the universality of the religious experience, of the phenomenology of belief?

Malaysians, after 55 years of claiming to be "independent from the shackles of colonialism", what have you achieved? What would Jesus and Muhammad say to the current regime and the hatemongers ...? Did Islam not borrow heavily from Jewish, Sabean, and Christian sources to construct its doctrine ... ? "read ... Iqra' ... read ... " as Islam tells its followers .. read ... for is not the greatest enemy of knowledge the illusion of wisdom ...?

*************************

DR AZLY RAHMAN, who was born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Baru, holds a Columbia University (New York) doctorate in International Education Development and Master's degrees in the fields of Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and has written more than 300 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience spans Malaysia and the United States, over a wide range of subjects from elementary to graduate education. He currently resides in the United States.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/azly.rahman

http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/

BM-Premium B IP BM-Premium C IP Pakatan siap sedia, jangka PRU13 September

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Rakyat hari ini menyatakan kesediaan mereka untuk menghadapi Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13) yang dijangkakan akan diadakan pada September akan datang.

Setiausaha Agung PAS, Datuk Mustafa Ali berkata isu pilihanraya turut dibincangkan pada pada mesyuarat Majlis Setiausaha Pakatan Rakyat hari ini, dan yakin Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib akan menggunakan kesempatan hari Merdeka ini untuk mengumumkannya.

"Saya yakin Umno-Barisan Nasional akan mengambil kesempatan pada hari Kemerdekaan kali ini untuk memulihkan imej mereka," jelasnya pada sidang media di Pejabat PKR hari ini.

"Kita berkeyakinan ia akan diadakan pada September nanti dan paling lewat adalah pada bulan November. Segala perancangan telah kita aturkan sebaik mungkin," sambung beliau lagi.

Sementara itu, Ketua Pemuda DAP, Anthony Loke menyatakan Umno-Barisan Nasional akan terus menggunakan skrip lama dengan memburuk-burukkan DAP dengan tanggapan negetif.

"Skrip lama akan terus digunakan, memburukkan DAP dengan pandangan-pandangan negetif bagi tujuan menakut-nakutkan pengundi Melayu.

"Mereka berharap tindakan tersebut akan memberi kesan undi kepada PAS dan PKR kerana pengundi Melayu akan beralih kepada mereka," jelasnya.

Menurutnya lagi, selain Umno dengan skrip lama, rakan mereka MCA juga akan menakut-nakutkan pengundi Cina dengan isu Hudud akan tidak menyokong Pakatan dan seterusnya memberikan gambaran yang buruk kepada PAS.

"Bagi mengatasi tomahan yang tidak berasas ini, kita diperingkat Pakatan telah merangka strategi untuk menangkis tomahan tersebut.

"Apa yang kita harapkan nanti rakyat akan tertumpu kepada agenda yang kita akan bawakan untuk kebaikan seluruh rakyat negara ini," sambungnya lagi.

Katanya lagi, Pakatan akan terus menfokuskan kepada rakyat tentang agenda besar yang telah dipersetujui bersama di dalam dasar Pakatan Rakyat.

Turut hadir pada sidang media tersebut adalah Ahli Parlimen Kuala Selangor, Dr Dzulkifly Ahmad dan Nurul Izzah Anwar, Ahli Parlimen PKR.

The Malaysian dream — Art Harun

AUG 7 — With an overhead shot from around the baseline landing outside the court, his dream, and with that a Malaysian collective dream, ended. His opponent, dark, muscular and almost brooding, leapt in the air, turned around and ran around the court, with his arm opened wide as if he was going to take off the ground.

Datuk Lee Chong Wei gave his best. The Malaysian spectators at the venue shouted and screamed in unison. But luck wasn’t with Lee.

Nothing much separated the two players, really. It was a gladiatorial match. An epic. The best badminton match I had ever had the pleasure of watching.

There were moments during the match when I saw moves which were almost non-human in nature. Impossible speed, almost Spider-man like agility, the will and power of men possessed with an ultimate dream, an ultimate hope to win the ultimate prize.

At one point of time, I wondered how is it to feel the weight of the hope and wish of 28 million people on one’s tiny shoulder. How does one man deal with that? How does one man carry himself knowing every move of his might disappoint 28 million people? What is in his head every time he raises his racquet to serve, to smash and to return a drop shot?

I have nothing but admiration and pride for Lee and all our Olympians. For all their sacrifices, their hard work, their pains, blood, sweat and tears, dispensed in the name of national glory.

The Olympics, like any other mammoth sporting event, bring out the best and the worst in us. And the comical too.

Right after the opening ceremony, there were rumblings of how the Illuminati were at work to take over the world in Malaysian cyber-space. Clearly some of us have really fertile imaginations. Or perhaps some of us Malaysian Muslims were just showing signs of low blood sugar level during this fasting month. And so we read about the Olympic tree being a tree which, in Muslim traditions, is a tree which is sympathetic to the Jews, for example. I even received a private message on Facebook telling me that a certain prince is the manifestation of the anti-Christ. So I suppose this phenomenon is not restricted to the Muslims only.

Then there are people — politicians, of course — who don’t seem to know that there are moments when humanity takes over and politics doesn’t seem to matter. Astounding as it may be, believe it or not, there was a tweet by an opposition MP saying that Malaysia will win a gold medal in the Olympics after Pakatan Rakyat “takes over Putrajaya.” Good then. Put that in their party manifesto and ask the people to vote for them in the next GE with that promise. And while we are at it, how about telling the people that Malaysia will win the football World Cup too after Pakatan takes over whatever? Just so to complete the absurdity, tell us that the Middle-East conflict will be ended by Pakatan too please.

The positive side of this is the fact that Malaysians will sit together in unison to support the quest of our countrymen regardless of our faith, our race, breed and creed. To my mind, unity manifests itself in two forms, namely, situational unity and transcendental unity. We experience situational unity in every aspect of our daily life. The ultimate task for the government is to foster this situational harmony into a more permanent and cohesive unity.

Malaysians have always loved sports. And as far as I could remember, sports have always been the highlight of Malaysian unity. Never in any other act have Malaysians displayed so much loyalty, faith and unity than sporting events. I am old enough to remember how all of us watched with pride when our national football team played in the 1972 Munich Olympics. How we jumped in rapturous joy when James Wong scored against South Korea to send Malaysia to the 1980 Olympics. How the whole of Malaysia was transfixed when we hosted the 1975 hockey World Cup. And in recent times, Malaysians will of course fill with pride every time Datuk Nicol David or Lee win their respective tournament.

That proves that when faced with one ultimate — and common — aim and purpose, a people of diverse cultures, faiths and interests as well as of different races may set aside whatever differences they may have, whatever misgivings they may harbour against each other and unite.

Our task, in terms of trying to foster unity and harmony, is to create that ONE aim and purpose. I suppose we can begin by eliminating, or trying to eliminate, anything which threatens to divide us.

Or perhaps, we could just start by showing up at the airport to give a rousing homecoming to Lee and our Olympians. — art-harun.blogspot.com

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

Police Need To Transform Attitude And Work Discipline - Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- Members of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) need to transform their attitude and work discipline by minimising the need for supervision by superior officers in facing challenges to fulfill the increasing complex demands of society, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said, through steady self-discipline, the perception of society towards policing tasks would change, thus making the force a respected one.

"This is where the challenge is for policemen to carry out a transformation to enable PDRM to face the people who always want their lives to be assured in terms of security in this changing era.

"As such, we have to have a positive attitude in responding to the challenge by updating existing standard operating procedures," he said at a breaking of the fast ceremony with PDRM members at the Police Training Centre, here, Tuesday.

Also present were Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar and Chief Secretary to the Government, Datuk Seri Dr Ali Hamsa.

Speaking before 5,000 police personnel of various ranks, Najib said he believed every member of PDRM would respond to the challenge with full commitment and dedication.

The Prime Minister said in whatever situation, PDRM needed to emerge as a team which was always respected by all levels.

"I regard this as a new challenge, not only to PDRM, but also to the government in general, and as for the government, we will endeavour to help boost every aspect of the capability of the team," he said.

He said the government would always assist PDRM to develop its true capability according to its affordability.

"If we want to go to war, we must be equipped with weapons and strength to win.

"The government will help PDRM to increase its capacity," he said.

In the meantime, Najib wanted PDRM to continue to make GTP2 (Government Transformation Progerqamme 2) a success as had been the case with GTP1.

"Don't be disappointed if there is polemics and perception and what not on figures because we can continue our capability to go higher," he said.

At the ceremony, Najib also handed cheques to 18 widows of personnel who were killed while on duty, ex-gratia recipients and 10 privilege card recipients.

Other than breaking the fast, Najib also spent time to perform the Tarawih prayers with PDRM members at the Solehin Mosque there.

Police brutality ; Indian couple jailed 21 days, head injuries, chilly padi on private part, handcuffed & hanged 15 hours.

MAKKAL SAKTHI

Your Reference :
In Reply :
Date : 7/8/2012
Media Event 8/8/2012 (Wednesday @ 11.30 am)
Re: 1) Malaysian Police Brutality on couple A.Segar (26) lock up 21 days in 3 lock up. Beaten with stick on head, handcuffed & hanged 15 hours, blended chili padi & minyak angin rubbed on private part, face & whole body. Injuries still visible.
2) M.Vikneswary (39) Accounts Executive lock up 18 days, hit with rubber hose on leg when refuse to remove clothes in front of 3 male policemen in room with no accompanying police women.
3) Keling, pukimak and vulgarities used
Date : 8/8/2012 (Wednesday)
Time : 11.30 am.
Venue: HINDRAF HQ, Jalan Abdulah, off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
___________
S. Jayathas
Information Chief HINDRAF
Read More : http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2012/08/07/photos-police-brutality-kepong-police-station-head-injuries-handcuffed-hanged-15-hours-chilly-padi-on-private-part/

Shahrizat felt humiliated by 'cow minister' tag

(Malaysiakini) Former minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil described in detail in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today her humiliation at being called "Cow minister of the year" by parliamentarian and PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin.

No one, even politicians, deserved to be called in such a manner, the former women, family and community development minister told Judicial Commissioner Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera when testifying on the RM100 million defamation suit she filed on Jan 19.

"Surely nobody deserves to be insulted in such a manner. This is beyond acceptable ‘political bantering'.

"It is obvious that Zuraida realises the reference to ‘lembu' is a deragotory remark and in the colloquial Malay sense suggests stupidity, and this is slanderous and insulting," Shahrizat said.
A minister for 13 years, she described the words uttered as meant to humiliate and tarnish her reputation as a woman and that this went beyond the permissable extent, even in the political arena.

Zuraida made the remark during the PKR delegates conference last year, Shahrizat said in the suit she filed against PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli and Zuraida for implicating her in the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) Sdn Bhd fiasco.
Rafizi and Zuraida have filed a counter-claim against the former minister.
The Umno Wanita leader and seasoned politician also said the Internet had resulted in the allegations "to be unstoppable", despite she being cleared by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
'Internet a strange creature... unstoppable'

"The Internet is a strange creature in that once it has built sufficient momentum, it becomes unstoppable. Reading about a politician being allegedly corrupt is sensational and creates interest.

"However, reading any publication subsequently declaring the innocence will often go unnoticed.

"You must understand that if abused, the Internet can be an unchecked and uncontrollable weapon to spread rumours and lies, until such time a euphoria of hate is created among the public," Shahrizat said.
She said these accusations against her became a topic of conversation even in the Internet and on social networks.

Shahrizat said the very nature of social networks, when one posts comments, invite others to comment.

“This is when embellishment takes place. In fact, I was informed the allegations against me spiralled into suggestions and accusations that the National Feedlot Corporation funded holidays for me in Phuket.

“My whole family and I have never ever been to Phuket. This is a ridiculous and blatant vicious lie orchestrated to produce anger and hatred towards me and my family,” she said of the allegation raised by Rafizi.

Rafizi at in one of his press conferences, Shahrizat said, claimed that the NFC booked a holiday through travel agency Impian Global Network Services. However, Shahrizat said, as a travel agency, Impian Global arranged tickets for business and pleasure as well.

“Let me explain how mischievous Rafizi is. In his press conference, he identified that payments were made through the travel agent by NFC. He then produced a print-out of their website, which revealed that this travel agent also advertised holiday packages to Phuket, Bandung, etc.

“He then made this insidious and deceptive conclusion that since these packages were advertised, NFC must have bought packages to Phuket, Bandung and other advertised holiday destinations.

“In all honesty, NFC never bought me any holiday packages but instead, merely used the travel agent for its ticketing for business travel,” she said.
'Rafizi planted seeds of doubt and suspicion'

Shahrizat said Rafizi planted seeds of doubts and suspicion in his press conference by referring to the website advertisements for holiday packages and concluded that NFC bought holiday packages for her.

The former minister and Umno Wanita chief said hundreds of articles were now circulated on the Internet on the NFC issue, along with widespread postings on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks.

She also touched on her decision to resign from the cabinet when her term as senator expired.

“As a responsible leader, I wanted to do the right thing. I do not want the opposition to use me as the wife of the NFC chairperson to malign or cast aspersions on the government while I hold public office.

“I was being investigated by the MACC, judged by the court of public opinion as a result of the lies orchestrated by the defendants (Rafizi and Zuraida).

“It was not tenable for me to carry out my public duties so I resigned as minister at the end of my term as a senator. However, I am still the Wanita Umno and Wanita BN chief,” she said.

Shahrizat is expected to be cross-examined by lawyers for Rafizi and Zuraida on Friday before Justice Vazeer Alam. Also present in court today was her husband and NFC chairperson Mohd Salleh Ismail and their children.

Men with weird hairstyles risk arrest in Saudi

[Image via Shutterstock]

Saudi Arabia’s feared religious police warned men they could be arrested if they are caught in public with a weird hair style deemed against Islamic tenets.

The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice said it has plans to enter schools next academic year to warn teen age boys against styling their hair in a way that violate tradition in the conservative Gulf Kingdom.

The Commission’s chairman, Abdul Latif Al Sheikh, was reacting to reports about what newspapers described as a widespread phenomenon involving teen age Saudis wearing weird dresses and styling their hair in a bizarre way.

“Hair is a personal thing in which we should not intervene directly,” he said, quoted by the Saudi Arabic language daily Okaz.

“But if the young man wears strange clothes and his hair style violates Islamic tradition and tenets, then he will be stopped…if we find that this boy’s aim is to harass women and hurt the society in a way that will make us a subject of sarcasm among other societies, then we have to prevent and deter him.”

‘Christian’ Indonesia a big threat to Malaysia, says Muslim academic

Tee has long styled himself a champion of Islam.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — A Christian-majority Indonesia could be a threat to a small Muslim nation like Malaysia, controversial academic Ridhuan Tee Abdullah has said as growing Christian proselytisation in the Southeast Asian giant fuels fears of Islam’s followers leaving the religion.

The Chinese-Muslim convert was weighing in on a recent furore in the world’s most populous Muslim nation that is experiencing a growing wave of converts to Christianity — as many as two million people a year — that had sparked a recent campaign to reverse the religious trend called “Save Maryam”.

Indonesia used to be 90 per cent Muslim, he said, but was now recording only 200 million Muslims out of a total population of 240 million.

“Mengikut jangkaan, jika sesuatu tidak dilakukan, pada 2035, Indonesia akan menjadi negara majoriti Kristian (According to estimates, if nothing is done, Indonesia will become a Christian-majority country by 2035).

“Jika perkara ini berlaku, ini satu ancaman besar kepada negara Islam kecil seperti Malaysia (If nothing is done, this will be a huge threat to a small Muslim nation like Malaysia),” said the Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia lecturer, in his column “Buka Minda (Open Mind)” published today by Malay daily Sinar Harian.

Tee, who is a member of the Islamic Consultative Council and Wasatiyyah panel in the Prime Minister’s Department, has long styled himself a champion of Islam.

He noted that many Muslim Indonesians converted to Christianity due to a variety of factors including the high poverty rate there that caused some to “sell out” their faith and the lack of laws to protect Muslims against Christian proselytisation in contrast to Malaysia.

But the columnist, who also writes for Umno-owned Malay broadsheet Utusan Malaysia, said the Christianisation movement was on the upswing here.

Tee appeared to suggest that Christians were the “enemy” of Muslims, citing a passage from the Quran, Surah Al-Anfal.

He said Christians had great financial power around the world and the Malay archipelago was now their main target after they had “failed” in their missionary attempts in the West.

He warned that Christian evangelical movements could attempt to employ similar tactics here as they did in Indonesia and called on Muslim Malaysians to “save” their brethren in the archipelago.

“Ingatlah wahai saudaraku, orang Indonesia itu juga adalah saudara kita (Remember my brothers, the Indonesians are our brethren too).

“Selamat mereka, selamatlah kita (If they are safe, we too are safe),” he said.

In multicultural Malaysia, non-Muslims are barred by the law from proselytising their faiths to Muslims even as they are constitutionally guaranteed the freedom to practise their religions.

However, several right-wing religious groups have accused churches here of converting Muslims to Christianity and turning them into apostates, which is viewed as a serious offence and which has strained Christian-Muslim ties here over the past few years.

Hudud: Is Karpal fighting lone battle?

With the clock ticking away, it is imperative that the DAP-PAS verbal war over the hudud issue be dealt with as quickly as possible.
COMMENT

The DAP-PAS row over the latter’s refusal to budge from the hudud issue has reached a boiling point and, if not dealt with quickly and wisely, this altercation is going to deal a severe blow to Pakatan Rakyat’s mission of becoming the next federal government.

Leading the objecion to PAS’ determination to implement the Islamic law should Pakatan win the coming 13th general election is DAP national chairman and seasoned lawyer Karpal Singh.

Karpal remains steadfast in rejecting any plans by PAS to put in place the hudud law. And to prove that he means business, Karpal recently once again warned PAS to drop any idea of turning its dream of setting up an Islamic state and instituting hudud laws into reality.

The aggressive lawyer is worried that PAS’ stubborness in wanting to do so will only sabotage Pakatan’s chances in the coming polls.

Karpal had said: “PAS is only scuttling Pakatan Rakyat’s march to Putrajaya in the coming election with contradictory statements on its stand on Islamic state. Hudud is not included in the Pakatan’s common policy framework, Buku Jingga. Likewise, it will not be included in the common manifesto of Pakatan.”

Prior to Karpal’s remarks, PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi claimed that those rejecting God’s laws would be considered “kufur”, an Arabic word often translated as “disbelievers”.

According to the New Straits Times, Nasrudin, in a posting on Twitter, had said: “Karpal is consistent in rejecting hudud because he is a kufur. PAS must continue with its struggle to uphold Islam.”

That led to the DAP-PAS scuffle, with Karpal urging PAS to “stop supplying cannon fodder to the Barisan Nasional to be aimed at Pakatan”, saying that it was “counter productive and politically naive”.

Karpal also cautioned Nasrudin to “mind his language” and also questioned if the latter was the “spokesman of PAS”.

“I must warn this political upstart to mind his language. No one, no party, no organisation can claim to have a monopoly on God. I must state with all the force at my command that I believe in God. There is only one God and all religions reflect that,” Karpal shot back at Nasrudin.

Is PAS clear on what it wants?

Karpal is worried that PAS’ ambiguous “yes” and then “no” and “yes” stand on its hudud laws and Islamic state agenda will spoil Pakatan’s chances in the 13th general election.

The lawyer, better known as the “Tiger of Jelutong”, for his 20 years of service as the MP for Jelutong, recalls that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had on June 3 last year publicly stated that the Quran mentioned a “welfare state”, not an “Islamic state”.

“This reflects beyond the pale of a doubt that PAS has given up its aim to set up an Islamic state. PAS has, clearly, opted for a welfare state,” Karpal said.

To Karpal, as hudud was a component of the Islamic state, “any attempt by PAS now to espouse the introduction of hudud in the country would badly reflect on the decisions made during the last PAS muktamar – shifting its agenda for an Islamic state to a more inclusive ‘welfare state’”.

Another point that Karpal raised was that on June 8 last year, the New Straits Times quoted PAS spiritual adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat as saying that the party was right in shifting its focus from

“Islamic state” to “welfare state”.

Clearly, PAS’s inability to make up its mind might just worsen the debate over the hudud issue, with Karpal left wondering what more would it take for PAS to come to its senses instead of confusing and worrying supporters of Pakatan.

Does Karpal have the support he needs

While Karpal continues to defend DAP’s refusal to entertain PAS’ hudud and Islamic state agenda,

ironically, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang and his son and party secretary-general Guan Eng have been silent on the Islamist issue.

This is equally worrying for it makes one wonder whether Karpal actually has all the support he needs in putting an end to PAS’ hudud and Islamic state controversy.

Or is Karpal fighting a lone battle here?

It does not seem so, going by the support shown by DAP Bagan Dalam state representative A Tanasekharan who reproached Terengganu PAS Youth chief Mohd Nor Hamzah for “being rude” by calling on Karpal to quit politics over the Islamist party’s hudud issue.

Mohd Nor also claimed that Karpal’s “outdated views” had become a liability to Pakatan” The Bukit Payung assemblyman claimed that Karpal’s media outbursts against the implementation of hudud had strained the relationship among Pakatan parties.

To this, Tanasekharan said: “Who is he to call Karpal to quit… is he qualified to do so in the first place? It’s rude, uncalled-for and unjustifiable.”

Tanasekharan said Karpal was consistently the most vocal elected representative to voice out against any threat against the secular ideals of the Malaysian constitution.

To Tanasekharan, it was about Karpal being duty-bound to criticise PAS’ unconstitutional and extreme Islamist agenda, which posed a threat to national unity in the long run.

And he further admonished Nor Hamzah, saying he had to learn to show respect to elders like Karpal, given the DAP leader’s political experience.

With the clock ticking away, it is imperative that the DAP-PAS verbal war over the hudud issue be dealt with as quickly as possible; otherwise, the Islamic agenda being harboured by PAS would throw a spanner in the works as far as Pakatan’s objective of gaining control over Putrajaya is concerned.

As for Karpal, be it a lone battle or otherwise, what is evident is that he has regularly spoken against the PAS Islamic brand, a move which the Islamic party’s leaders refuse to accept, claiming instead that Karpal is all alone in the DAP opposing it.

Does PAS’ claim that Karpal is all alone in rejecting the hudud and Islamic state issue hold water? Or, for that matter, will the DAP and Pakatan stalwarts take a stand and lend Karpal the much- needed support?

Jeswan Kaur is a freelance writer and a FMT columnist.

Bukan warga di negara sendiri

Selagi polisi tidak diubah, selagi itulah masalah dokumen pengenalan diri tidak akan selesai.
COMMENT

Sejak hampir setahun lalu, saya sering mendengar dan membaca mengenai kempen pendaftaran dokumen pengenalan diri yang diterajui pihak tertentu. Kempen dan jerayawara (roadshow) diadakan di pelbagai tempat, khabarnya untuk membantu orang ramai mendapatkan kad pengenalan dan sijil kelahiran.

Bagaimanapun, dua perkara membuatkan saya ingin tahu lebih lanjut mengenai usaha berkenaan. Pertama, adakah “kempen” itu bersifat sementara atau masalah yang timbul benar-benar diteliti pada peringkat akar-umbi lalu diselesaikan sepenuhnya.

Dengan erti kata lain, apakah benar-benar dilakukan dengan ikhlas atau sekadar kempen bagi kepentingan politik pihak tertentu. Selepas tempoh kempen selesai, mangsa tetap kekal sebagai bukan warganegara di negara sendiri.

Persoalan kedua yang muncul dalam fikiran saya adalah mengenai penglibatan Persatuan Jaringan Pembangunan Manusia Luar Bandar, Malaysia (DHRRA Malaysia).

Setahu saya, pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) itu terlibat secara aktif dan berterusan sejak 2003 dalam usaha-usaha menyelesaikan masalah dokumen pengenalan diri. Lalu, mengapa nama DHRRA Malaysia tidak muncul langsung dalam kempen dan roadshow kali ini?

Saya bertemu presidennya, Saravanan M. Sinapan untuk mendapatkan penjelasan berhubung persoalan itu serta beberapa isu berkaitan.

Menurutnya, isu ketiadaan sijil kelahiran, kad pengenalan dan kewarganegaraan (statelessness) sesungguhnya diketengahkan oleh DHRRA Malaysia dengan kerjasama ERA Consumer Malaysia sejak 2003.

“Kami menjalankan pelbagai kempen untuk membantu anggota masyarakat yang menghadapi isu dokumen pengenalan diri. Kami berusaha mendaftar mereka agar mereka mendapat hak-hak asasi mereka,” katanya sewaktu ditemui di pejabat DHRRA Malaysia di Petaling Jaya pada 2 Ogos 2012.

Saya difahamkan bahawa suatu seminar diadakan pada 2005, melibatkan sekitar 250 individu yang menghadapi masalah dokumen pengenalan diri. Sambutan daripada Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) sendiri didapati kurang baik kerana gagal menghantar wakil ke seminar berkenaan.

“Tetapi kami mendapat wakil dari UNHCR dan pelbagai NGO lain yang menghadiri seminar polisi itu untuk berkongsi pengalaman cara-cara mengatasi masalah dokumen pengenalan di Thailand, Sri Lanka dan sebagainya. Selepas itu, kami cuba berhubung dengan agensi kerajaan terbabit dan menegaskan bahawa salah satu isu dalam kalangan masyarakat India di Malaysia adalah dokumen pengenalan diri,” Saravanan menghuraikan.

Kempen MyDaftar

Sambil mengakui bahawa pihak-pihak tertentu tidak mengambil serius isu tersebut, beliau menegaskan bahawa DHRRA Malaysia tetap meneruskan usaha dan kempen secara berterusan bagi membantu masyarakat pelbagai kaum.

“Selepas Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-12, kerajaan persekutuan di bawah pimpinan Datuk Seri Najib Razak menubuhkan satu pasukan khas yang dipengerusikan beliau sendiri dan bertujuan mengenal pasti apakah punca-punca masyarakat India tidak menyokong (mengundi) Barisan Nasional pada 2008,” katanya.

Agak menarik bahawa salah satu isu yang turut dibangkitkan oleh DHRRA Malaysia dalam perbincangan Rancangan Malaysia Kesepuluh adalah isu dokumen pengenalan diri. Tentulah amat wajar kerana tiada gunanya segala RMK sekiranya rakyat negara ini tidak mempunyai dokumen pengenalan diri yang membolehkan mereka mendapat apa-apa kebaikan daripada RMK itu.

Hasil daripada saranan itu, Special Implementation Task Force (SITF) ditubuhkan dan dipengerusikan Datuk Dr S Subramaniam, lalu memulakan kempen “MyDaftar”.

Wajar disebutkan bahawa jawatankuasa itu mengundang DHRRA Malaysia untuk melatih pegawai terbabit supaya kempen “MyDaftar” dapat dijalankan dengan berkesan; dan bukan hanya hangat-hangat tahi ayam atau indah khabar dari rupa.

“Semasa perbincangan dengan kumpulan SITF, kami telah tegaskan bahawa masalah dokumen pengenalan ini tidak boleh diselesaikan dalam masa singkat kerana isu sebenar adalah berkenaan dengan polisi,” Saravanan menegaskan.

Perkara ini amat penting kerana kebanyakan individu yang berdepan dengan masalah ketiadaan dokumen pengenalan tidak mempunyai bahan bukti yang cukup; sekali gus sukar untuk diselesaikan dalam masa yang singkat – misalnya dalam tempoh kempen selama dua minggu.

Maka, suatu hakikat yang perlu diterima adalah bahawa walaupun kempen “MyDaftar” diadakah secara besar-besaran selama beberapa minggu di seluruh negara, isu sebenar yang dihadapi “mangsa” masih belum selesai.

Sebagai sebuah NGO yang bukan mementingkan “hasil” dan “nama” dalam masa yang singkat, DHRRA Malaysia meneruskan pula kempen berterusan yang dinamakan “My Document” dan mendapat sokongan Jabatan Perdana Menteri (JPM).

Turut dilancarkan adalah “My Search” iaitu talian Pusat Panggilan Komuniti yang beroperasi sepanjang tahun, dari 9:00 pagi hingga 9:00 malam. Dengan menggunakan Bahasa Malaysia, Inggeris dan Tamil sebagai bahasa pengantar, DHRRA Malaysia sedia membantu masyarakat pelbagai kaum di seluruh negara untuk mengatasi masalah yang dihadapi.

Saya sendiri sentiasa mengikuti perkembangan aktiviti DHRRA Malaysia melalui laman sesawang dan Facebook. Namun, di media arus perdana, kredit sentiasa diberikan kepada pihak lain; khususnya politikus atau agensi kerajaan.

Apabila dikemukakan pertanyaan itu, Saravanan menjelaskan bahawa akhbar-akhbar Tamil sering memaparkan berita mengenai usaha-usaha yang dilakukan NGO itu dalam membantu masyarakat.

“Dalam akhbar-akhbar dan media lain, mereka menumpukan pada inisiatif yang diambil oleh kerajaan. MyDaftar adalah salah satu inisiatif seumpama itu, maka keutamaan liputan media arus perdana lebih menjurus ke sana,” katanya.

Negara asal: Malaysia

Ringkasnya, DHRRA Malaysia tidak mendambakan pengiktirafan atau liputan meluas di akhbar dan media arus perdana atas sumbangan dan inisiatif yang diambilnya. Sebab itulah juga ramai yang tidak tahu bahawa wakil DHRRA Malaysia pernah membentangkan kertas kerja di Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (PBB) mengenai peranan NGO dalam menyelesaikan isu-isu dokumen pengenalan diri.

Apakah cara terbaik dan paling berkesan untuk mengatasi masalah rakyat negara ini yang tidak mempunyai dokumen pengenalan diri seperti sijil kelahiran, kad pengenalan dan dokumen kewarganegaraan?

“Saya percaya, Ahli-ahli Parlimen dan Kerajaan Persekutuan harus mengadakan seminar polisi dan seterusnya menukar polisi sedia ada. Contohnya, apabila seorang individu diminta mengemukakan bahan bukti kelahiran dan saksi, dia tidak dapat berbuat demikian kerana estet tempat asalnya sudah tidak wujud,” Saravanan menghuraikan.

Saranan DHRRA Malaysia adalah supaya kes-kes seperti ini diberi sedikit kelonggaran. Jika tidak, generasi demi generasi keluarga itu akan kekal tanpa dokumen pengenalan diri dan tanpa kewarganegaraan. Misalnya, individu yang disahkan “negara asal: Malaysia” tetapi hanya diberi taraf “pemastautin tetap”.

“Kami mencadangkan supaya mereka yang lahir di Malaysia, ibu bapa mereka juga orang Malaysia, dan mereka tidak mempunyai sebarang kerakyatan lain, maka harus diberi kewarganegaraan secara automatik mengikut peruntukan Perlembagaan,” katanya.

Maklumat lanjut mengenai DHRRA Malaysia boleh diakses di laman web www.dhrramalaysia.org.my atau talian 03-78747680.

Peneroka India Felda turut syukuri bantuan k’jaan

Kerajaan bercadang menaik taraf dua kuil (di Felda Sungai Tengi) sedia ada dalam masa terdekat bagi memberi keselesaan kepada penganut Hindu beribadat.

Oleh S. Kisho

HULU SELANGOR: Manfaat menjadi peneroka Felda bukan sahaja dinikmati kaum Melayu bumiputera tetapi juga segelintir keturunan India yang bersyukur dengan pelbagai bantuan dan imbuhan yang diberi kerajaan.

Bagi M. Letchumy, 72, dari Felda Sungai Tengi di sini, beliau mahu menghabiskan sisa hidupnya di kawasan Felda itu sekalipun kesemua anaknya yang bekerja di luar, mendesak beliau tinggal bersama mereka.

“Semua kemudahan ada di sini, kenapa saya perlu tinggal di luar?

“Kawan-kawan saya semua di sini. Lagi pun sekarang kerajaan memberikan pelbagai insentif kepada penduduk Felda, macam mana saya nak tinggalkan kawasan ini? Saya akan tetap tinggal di sini sampai ke akhir hayat,” katanya kepada Bernama selepas menerima agihan ‘durian runtuh’ fasa kedua untuk isteri peneroka, baru-baru ini.

Katanya, pihak pengurusan Felda dan penduduk di situ saling membantu dan menjaga kebajikan serta keperluannya, lebih-lebih lagi mereka yang tahu beliau tinggal berseorangan.

Letchumy berkata sejak menetap di situ pada 1973, hatinya sudah terpaut dengan keharmonian masyarakat dan keindahan bumi bertuah yang banyak membantunya dan suami menyara membesarkan anak-anak.

Sebanyak 1,900 isteri peneroka menerima bayaran RM5,000 seorang pada majlis itu termasuk sembilan berketurunan India.

Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak pada Mei lepas mengumumkan durian runtuh kepada peneroka berjumlah RM1.689 bilion untuk diagihkan kepada 112,635 keluarga peneroka di seluruh negara sempena penyenaraian Felda Global Ventures Holdings (FGV) di Bursa Malaysia.

Pemberian durian runtuh berjumlah RM15,000 itu dilakukan dalam tiga fasa iaitu RM5,000 bagi setiap fasa meliputi ketua keluarga, isteri peneroka dan generasi kedua Felda.

Baru-baru ini Najib mengumumkan 103,597 peneroka atau 91.9 peratus yang bersama Felda akan menerima duit raya RM400 seorang melibatkan peruntukan berjumlah RM41.4 juta, manakala 9,038 orang atau 8.02 peratus peneroka yang tidak bersama Felda masing-masing menerima RM200 melibatkan peruntukan berjumlah RM1.8 juta.

Mengulas lanjut, Letchumy berkata sejak Najib meneraju negara, pemimpin negara itu mengotakan janjinya bertepatan dengan slogan ‘rakyat didahulukan, pencapaian diutamakan’

Kerajaan prihatin

Bagi peneroka P.Muthaiah, 65, semua itu membuktikan keprihatinan kerajaan terhadap golongan peneroka dan perhatian yang diberikan kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) itu juga berjaya mengubah persepsi saudara-maranya terhadap kerjaya beliau.

“Dulu, lebih kurang 20 atau 30 tahun lepas, saudara-mara kami tak nak datang melawat kami sebab mereka kata kami semua tinggal di hutan. Tempat itu jauh dan tak ada kemudahan.

“Tapi sekarang selepas banyak bantuan dan kemudahan disediakan, mereka mula datang melawat kami dan kami juga mudah untuk keluar melawat mereka,” katanya.

Katanya pada peringkat awal penyertaan pada 1972, beliau mengharungi kesukaran untuk menyara isteri dan enam anak dengan pendapatan bulanan sebanyak RM60.

“Tiada kemudahan yang disediakan pada masa itu, nak pergi ke pekan pun kena fikir dua kali. Begitu susah kehidupan kami dulu,” katanya.

Kini kata Muthaiah, banyak pembangunan pesat berlaku di kawasan itu berbanding zaman 1970-an dan jalan yang dahulunya bertanah merah sudah berganti jalan berturap tar yang selesa.

“Kalau nak pergi ke kawasan bandar raya, sekarang kami ada Lebuhraya Karak. Kemudahan perubatan juga disediakan di sini… jadi hidup kami di sini semakin senang berbanding dulu. Terima kasihlah kepada Datuk Najib,” katanya.

Bagi Anggota Parlimen Hulu Selangor P. Kamalanathan pula berkata kerajaan mempunyai pelbagai pelan pembangunan bagi meringankan beban dan meningkatkan lagi keselesaan hidup peneroka Felda yang tinggal di kawasan pedalaman.

“Buat masa ini kami sedang berusaha untuk mengatur lebih banyak pengangkutan awam ke kawasan ini kerana jika dilihat sekarang, kekerapan bas keluar masuk adalah hanya sejam sekali,” katanya.

Katanya, bagi peneroka keturunan India pula, kerajaan bercadang menaik taraf dua kuil sedia ada dalam masa terdekat bagi memberi keselesaan kepada penganut Hindu beribadat.

Three more Sabah politicians to quit BN

Malaysian Digest) - An additional three Sabah politicians are set to leave Barisan Nasional for the opposition. The three, all key members of the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) are expected to join in the footsteps of Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin and Datuk Seri Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing, who left the coalition a week ago to become Opposition-friendly politicians.

Sources within the party told Malaysian Digest that the individuals are expected to announce their decision soon.

One of the Upko members, claimed the source, is a senior politician and holds a key leadership position within the party.

“These are people who hold crucial positions within Upko. Their departure will throw Upko will create a massive void within the chain of command and throw the leadership structure of Upko into disarray.

“These individuals are also grassroots leaders, which means that Upko’s supporter base will be torn on who they should follow,” claimed the source.

The source claimed that while things have yet to be decided, the names of the three could be announced during an upcoming rally on August 12 in Kota Marudu, which would feature Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Last week, Lajim and Bumburing announced their decision to leave the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition to form the Sabah Reform Party, a new entity aligned to Pakatan Rakyat. The new party would supposedly champion the illegal immigrants issue as well as poverty matters in the East Malaysian state.

Recent reports had suggested that BN senator Maijol Mahap, is set to announce his intention to leave the BN. The Upko vice president had been quoted in several Sabah political blogs as saying that he “no longer had faith” in BN.

"I no longer had faith that the BN can or will resolve critical issues in Sabah, such as the issue of illegal immigrants which are long lasting, high poverty rate in Sabah, the elimination of racial KDM (Kadazandusun Murut) from the public service and scholarship awards, the land problems, 5% oil royalty, 'Borneo-nization' and the Cabotage Policy,” he was quoted as saying.

Upko president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok had last week remained cryptic on the resignations and refused to be drawn into discussing who would leave next.

“I don’t know, there is a lot of speculation,” he was quoted as saying. “But this is a free country; you can join any party you like and people will also be joining us at Upko,” he had told the media.

BN has sought to play down the impact of Lajim and Bumburing’s resignations, maintaining that it would not have an effect on the political scenario in Sabah. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak

Najib had on Friday said Lajim and Bumburing’s exits would not affect the date of the coming general election, as had been widely speculated, and added that BN was taking measures to strengthen its presence in Sabah.

He also said that despite rumors that several more would follow in the duo’s footsteps by leaving, BN was more than capable of dealing with the matter.

“We are able to face this challenge and will be taking appropriate steps to remedy the situation and strengthen Umno’s and BN’s position,” he was quoted as saying.

Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman had also put up a brave front of the resignations, and said Lajim and Bumburing had left BN to seek higher positions within the Opposition.

He told Mingguan Malaysia yesterday that the duo’s departure would not threaten BN or Umno’s position in the state.

The state BN chief told Mingguan Malaysia in an interview published today that the duo's departure would not threaten Umno or BN's position in the state.

"I think they (Lajim and Bumburing) wanted greater positions than what they had. There are some with big ambitions and surely this is what they would do... this is every individual's right.

"Umno and BN is not threatened. Sabahans are smart enough to gauge who is right,” he was quoted as saying

'Tiada kebebasan punca malapetaka di negara Islam'

Dengan memetik karya terbaru ulama tersohor Yusuf al-Qaradhawi bertajuk 'Kebangkitan Rakyat' yang ditulis selepas kejatuhan regim Hosni Mubarak , Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata, punca malapetaka di negara Islam adalah disebabkan oleh tiada kebebasan diberikan kepada rakyatnya.

"Al-Qaradhawi kata mereka nak kepada Islam, maka kena hormat rakyat di bawah. Ini tidak, nak kepada Islam, tetapi perangai macam Firaun.

"Rakyat jangan jadi bodoh, (mesti) merdekakan rakyat. Tidak ada maknanya Islam itu, apabila rakyat tidak ada kebebasan.

"Ini tidak, ada kuasa apa-apa pun boleh buat... Ini yang menyebabkan malapetaka dalam negara Islam," kata Anwar yang juga ketua umum PKR dan bekas presiden Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM).

Dalam buku itu juga, Anwar berkata Al-Qaradawi juga menganggap pihak tertentu yang menyatakan demonstrasi adalah haram disebabkan mereka "tidak membaca sirah Islam".

Jelas Anwar yang juga ahli Parlimen Permatang Pauh, dalam buku itu, al-Qaradhawi berkata demonstrasi itu dibolehkan sekiranya tujuannya baik serta untuk kebajikan rakyat.

"Kalau tujuan itu jahat, maka jadilah jahat, tapi kalau baik, untuk kebajikan boleh," katanya sambil menambah dua sahabat Nabi Muhammad SAW - Umar Al-Khattab dan Saidina Hamzah - pernah berbuat demikian sewaktu peringkat awal Islam dengan membuat demonstrasi berjalan ke Kaabah.

Sebelum itu, Anwar mengimamkan solat Isyak berjamaah di Surau Al-Rasidiyah, Taman Bukit Angkasa, Pantai Dalam serta bertarawih bersama dengan kira-kira 100 penduduk di situ.

Turut hadir dalam majlis tersebut ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai yang juga anak sulungnya Nurul Izzah Anwar.

Sempena bulan Ramadan ini, Anwar mengajak umat Islam menghayati kandungan Al-Quran dan mengajar rakyat mencontohi keperibadian Nabi Muhammad SAW dan nabi terdahulu yang menunjukkan akhlak yang terbaik, gigih dan memikirkan rakyat bawahan.

"Contoh terbaik adalah para nabi dan rasul, bukan (seperti hari ini) sekat majlis kita, guna SB sekat kita... Ukurannya bukan kuasa dan kekuatan, tetapi (melihat) kepada budi pekerti.

"(Kita kena) takut kepada Allah, bukan takut hilang projek atau kerusi (DUN atau Parlimen)," katanya.

OIC Keen To Send Mission To Myanmar On Rohingya Muslims

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 (Bernama) -- The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will ask the Myanmar Government to allow an OIC fact-finding mission to be sent to Myanmar, said OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.

He made the remarks in an OIC statement at the conclusion of the Executive Committee meeting to discuss the Muslim Rohingya issue at the Permanent Representative level at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah over the weekend.

Ihsanoglu has expressed disappointment over the failure of the international community to stop the tyranny and discrimination by the Myanmar Government against the Rohingya Muslims in Arakan, formerly known as Rakhine state.

He suggested looking into the possibility of considering the formation of an Islamic fact-finding committee to seek the best solution to the issue among all parties, including the Myanmar Government, as well as international and regional organisations.

The secretary-general said the indifference of the international community to the rights of the Rohingya people, and fragmentation of the 25 Rohingya organisations, had motivated the largest Muslim organisation to make efforts to unite the organisations at the OIC headquarters in May last year. "OIC has directed its offices at the United Nations in New York to work in coordination with the Member States that are also non-permanent members in the UN Security Council, namely, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Pakistan and Togo, to urge the Council to look into the suffering of the Rohingya Muslims," he added.

He also urged the OIC Permanent and Independent Human Rights Commission to study the crisis of Myanmar Muslims and its human rights implications during its next session in Turkey at the end of this month.

Meanwhile, Ihsanoglu hoped that Bangladesh could review its position on the Rohingya Muslims, although he understood Bangladesh's position and the sensitivity of the issue.

Violence, which erupted in June, this year, in the Rakhine state between Buddhists and Rohingya, left about 80 people dead on both sides, official figures showed.

Reports said the Myanmar Government's restrictions on humanitarian access to the Rohingya community had left many of the over 100,000 people displaced and in dire need of food, shelter, and medical care.

Modern, moderate Malaysia moves to criminalize non-Muslims proselytizing among Muslims

Sharia advancing in Malaysia, as it is everywhere else. "Action against non-Muslims for spreading their religion to Muslims," from the Bernama, August 5 (thanks to Nicolei):

YAN, Aug 5 — The Islamic Religious Council in the states can take action against non-Muslims for trying to spread their faith among Muslims in the country.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharum said this can be done based on existing enactments that prohibit non-Muslims from doing so.

"Distribution of reading materials and in the form of audio video is disallowed as it will lead to dissatisfaction of Muslims," he said at Yan Hospital here today.

A newspaper reported that two men believed to be foreign tourists tried to spread Christianity as Muslims were preparing to break their fast in Penang on Thursday.

Jamil said the case of a man who was fined and jailed in Pahang in 2002 for trying to spread his faith to Muslims should serve as a lesson to non-Muslims. — Bernama

Deaths in Sikh temple attack in US

At least seven people, including the shooter, killed in Milwaukee temple attack, police officials say.

Police said seven people were killed and many as 30
people wounded in the suburb of Oak Creek [EPA]

At least seven people were killed, including the assailant, when a gunman opened fire at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee, authorities said.

Police were called to the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in the suburb of Oak Creek, where witnesses said several dozen people were gathering for a service on Sunday.

Authorities found four people dead inside the temple and two outside, Greenfield Police Chief Bradley Wentlandt said.

Sunny Singh, 21, of Milwaukee, said a friend pulled into the temple's parking lot, heard shots and saw two people fall down.

The friend then saw the shooter reload his weapons and head to the temple's entrance, Singh said.

Police shoot-out

The first police officer to arrive at the temple engaged in gunfire outside the building with a man police believe was the shooter, Wentlandt said. The suspect was killed, he said.

Tactical units went through the temple, and authorities do not believe a second shooter was involved, Wentlandt said.

It's unclear how many others were wounded. Wentlandt said he had been told the officer who exchanged gunfire with the suspect and another person had been taken to hospitals.

He said the officer was shot multiple times and is in surgery and is expected to survive.

The spokeswoman for the area trauma center said three victims were being treated there, including one who was in surgery.

Jatin Der Mangat, 38, of Racine, the nephew of the temple's president, Satwant Singh Kaleka, said his uncle was one of those shot, but he didn't know how serious his injuries were.

He was among those waiting for news when police announced the deaths.

"It was like the heart just sat down," he said. "This shouldn't happen anywhere."

Sukhwindar Nagr, also of Racine, said he called his brother-in-law's phone and a priest at the temple answered and told him that his brother-in-law had been shot, along with three priests.

The priest also said women and children were hiding in closets in the temple, Nagr said.

Wentlandt did not identify the suspect or say what might have motivated the shootings.

'Mistaken for Muslims'

Sikhism is a monotheistic faith that was founded in South Asia more than 500 years ago. It has roughly 27 million followers worldwide.

Observant Sikhs do not cut their hair; male followers often cover their heads with turbans - which are considered sacred - and refrain from shaving their beards.

There are roughly 500,000 Sikhs in the US, according to estimates. The majority worldwide live in India.

Sikh rights groups have reported a rise in bias attacks since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The Washington-based Sikh Coalition has reported more than 700 incidents in the US since then, which advocates blame on anti-Islamic sentiment.

Sikhs don't practice the same religion as Muslims, but their long beards and turbans often cause them to be mistaken for Muslims, advocates say.

Source:Al Jazeera And Agencies